Steelers taunt towel-trashing Titans
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090129/SPORTS01/901290371/1027/RSS0201
Pittsburgh players say they held up their end of rematch

By Jim Wyatt
THE TENNESSEAN

TAMPA, Fla. — To hear the Pittsburgh Steelers tell it, the Terrible Towel is as much a part of their tradition as the Immaculate Reception, Lynn Swann's juggling catch in Super Bowl X or any of the franchise's five world championships.

The yellow hand towel has been around for 33 years, in fact. It's become the best-known fan symbol of any team in sports. It's even in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And it's cherished throughout Steeler nation, of course.

So when the Titans stomped on the towel following a 31-14 win over the Steelers on Dec. 21 at LP Field, it created a stir that drew national attention.

A month later, with the Titans sitting at home and the Steelers preparing to play the Arizona Cardinals here in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers say the Titans got what they deserved.

"You see right now we got the last laugh,'' linebacker Larry Foote said. "That's what they get for trying to humiliate us and rub it in, for not showing any class. We wanted to play them again, but they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain. That's what they get for stomping on the towel. We're stepping on them right now.''

At least one Steeler wondered if the Titans had cursed themselves with the so-called despicable acts of a few.

Running back LenDale White and linebacker Keith Bulluck stomped on the towel in front of television cameras, while defensive end Jevon Kearse pretended to blow his nose into one. Titans Coach Jeff Fisher later called their actions "unnecessary."

The Steelers vowed revenge, but the Titans lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, preventing a rematch in the AFC Championship game.

"The Steeler gods are always with us, so you never know,'' cornerback Deshea Townsend said with a smile. "What I do know is what (the Titans) did that day was almost like taking a jersey and putting it on the ground after a win and stepping on it. You just don't do that. There is a proper way to play the game and a way that you act, and this team does not act like that. It's disrespectful.''

Said defensive tackle Casey Hampton: "When you are not used to winning, then you do stuff like that. We are kind of used to winning, so we win with class.''

James Bates, a photographer with the Latrobe (Pa.) Bulletin, attended media day with a Terrible Towel hat signed by past Steelers greats. He said the late Myron Cope, the team's beloved broadcaster, introduced the towel at a playoff game against the then-Baltimore Colts on Dec. 27, 1975.

Since then fans have waved it at every Steelers game, no matter where played. And its legend has grown. There are even instructions on the proper way to wave it.

The towel has done its part for charity. Before his death, Cope handed the Terrible Towel trademark to Allegheny Valley School, which provides care for developmentally disabled children and adults. Over the years, $1 million has been raised for the school.

"It's kind of a sacred symbol of Pittsburgh,'' Bates said. "So yeah, people weren't happy with the Titans for what they did. It was a fuss. It was kind of nasty to see them stepping on it.''

The Steelers need to get over it, White said this week.

"No way do I regret it. I would do it 100 times again. I'd do it tomorrow if we played them,'' he said. "They've made way too big a deal about of it. It's not like I dislike (Steelers Coach) Mike Tomlin or hate the city of Pittsburgh. It's football; that's it. Hey, if you get fired up by someone stepping on a towel, if that's what you need to boost you to go to the Super Bowl, then they should hope someone steps on their towels every year. I just don't get that.''

White also said the Titans would have welcomed a rematch. In the first meeting, Tennessee became the only team to put up more than 300 yards on Pittsburgh's defense this season.

"We beat them that day and we owned them, and there's no way around it. We dominated them that day,'' White said. "I wish we'd gotten to play them again. But Baltimore beat us and then they beat Baltimore, so all the credit goes to them. They're in the Super Bowl and they deserve to be there.''

So the rematch has been delayed until this fall, when the Titans visit Pittsburgh. For now the Steelers have a little Terrible Towel Super Bowl history on their side.

In 2005, Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh shined his cleats with a Terrible Towel during Cincinnati's 38-31 win over Pittsburgh. The Steelers then won eight straight games en route to capturing Super Bowl XL.

"The Terrible Towel, that's one of our trademarks. That's how people recognize the Steelers,'' linebacker James Farrior said. "We feel like it's a part of the team.

"I know it probably doesn't mean much to the guys outside of Pittsburgh, but it means a lot to us. As for the Titans, we definitely wanted to try and get some revenge on them. But it will have to wait.

"We've got a pretty big game to play this weekend.''

stillers4me

01-29-2009, 07:29 AM

No, LenDale, obviously you won't ever get it. It's called pride and class.

Steelcitygal87

01-29-2009, 07:44 AM

"You see right now we got the last laugh,'' linebacker Larry Foote said. "That's what they get for trying to humiliate us and rub it in, for not showing any class. We wanted to play them again, but they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain. That's what they get for stomping on the towel. We're stepping on them right now.''

AMEN!!! :tt03::tt03::tt03::tt03::drink:

HometownGal

01-29-2009, 08:08 AM

Hey LenWhale - what goes around comes around and it came around big time to you and the Tites. :point: Hope you enjoy watching the big game on your big, fat azz. :toofunny:

I can't wait until we play those asshats again! Keep steppin' on that TT Orca! :tt02:

SteelCityMom

01-29-2009, 08:24 AM

Oh man, I really wish the Steelers had gotten the chance to get revenge on them, but the stinky ratbirds had to spoil the fun for them!

Somehow, that quote from Lendale reminds me of Cartman "I do what I want!" He's got the same childish attitude as a football player as well.

Oh well, on to the SB where Lendale can watch them play from his couch.

markymarc

01-29-2009, 08:36 AM

LenDale is such an ass. It's called winning with class like the article stated. I can't wait to play these tools again.

stlrtruck

01-29-2009, 09:25 AM

The last laugh should officially come Sunday night with a Steelers victory!!

memphissteelergirl

01-29-2009, 09:25 AM

LenDale just moved up a couple of spots on my s*** list. :mad:

No-class bastard!

fansince'76

01-29-2009, 09:27 AM

I still hope the players remember it and exact just retribution for it (IOW, kick their asses up and down the field, particularly that fat POS White) when we play them next year. We still owe them one.

stillers4me

01-29-2009, 09:30 AM

When we clean their clocks next year, you can be sure that those gold towels will magically appear in our guys hands as they run back into the locker room!

realdeal

01-29-2009, 09:40 AM

LenDale just moved up a couple of spots on my s*** list. :mad:

No-class bastard!

Ditto!

This fat turd will get his very soon! Keep eating your way out of the league fat boy!

Edman

01-29-2009, 09:58 AM

The Steelers have every right to taunt those smug no-account hillbillies. No, Lenwhale, you overhyped fumbling POS. We will never get over it. Act like you've been there before, but you didn't. You'll get yours soon enough, jerk.

And to any pissy hick Tittie trolls out there coming on to defend Fatass and the Smurfs, you can piss off, each and every one of you.

stillers4me

01-29-2009, 10:01 AM

The Steelers have every right to taunt those smug no-account hillbillies. No, Lenwhale, you overhyped fumbling POS. We will never get over it. Act like you've been there before, but you didn't. You'll get yours soon enough, jerk.

And to any pissy hick Tittie trolls out there coming on to defend Fatass and the Smurfs, you can piss off, each and every one of you.

Yeah......what he said. :tt03:

1207

01-29-2009, 10:12 AM

Lendale is as stupid as he is fat. He obviously did not go to USC for an education. This idiot is too stupid to realize that C. Johnson is the reason the Titans played as well as they did this season. I would bet this fat azz will be out of the league in less than three years. Fat, stupid, and lazy will make for a short career, especially when your mouth keeps writing checks your teammates can't cash. Hey Lendale, you moron, maybe if you were not coughing up the ball in the red zone, your team would have gotten that rematch. IDIOT!

stlrz fan

01-29-2009, 10:18 AM

Lendale White has condemned himself to a mediocre career and fade away into obscurity. D**k

TheSteelCurtain

01-29-2009, 10:18 AM

I wonder if Lendale Realizes that he is gonna get replaced by a 5 foot nothing Chris Johnson. Hey Lendale i hear Vince Young has a seat right next to you on the "Insignificant Wast of Talent Bench." I just wish someone would have asked Lendale what Reggie Bush's wee wee tastes like.

devilsdancefloor

01-29-2009, 11:00 AM

http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/29/f_LENWHALEm_5178271.png

Keep disrespectnig asshat! Here is a resent photo of lenwhale

7SteelGal43

01-29-2009, 11:39 AM

Wow....this a**hat just doesn't get it, does he ? Honestly, I mean, is he just playing dumb to try to cover his a** or is he really that thick headed ? Seems to me regardless of what he said in the article, he has no respect for the Steelers at all. Classless goon.

fansince'76

01-29-2009, 11:41 AM

Lendale White has condemned himself to a mediocre career and fade away into obscurity. D**k

Yep, almost too bad the fat slob will probably eat his way off of the Titans' roster during the offseason and will be gone before we play them again next year.

CargoJon

01-29-2009, 12:26 PM

LenDales does love him some cheeseburgers.

You'd think he would have learned after how things went for ol' TJ.

steelreserve

01-29-2009, 12:26 PM

I still hope the players remember it and exact just retribution for it (IOW, kick their asses up and down the field, particularly that fat POS White) when we play them next year. We still owe them one.

Next year, something tells me they'll be in a lot worse shape than this year just because of random ups and downs. I don't think they're a consistent 13-3 or 14-2 team; pretty much everything went perfectly for them this year.

So when we play them again, maybe Collins won't be quite the QB he was, or there'll be some injury, or an obvious hole in the defense ... they'll be on their knees when we put a nice big boot on the back of their neck to firmly stomp them toward an 8-8 record.

JPSEMP

01-29-2009, 07:59 PM

I remember when alot of people thought we should have drafted this clown. His braids make him look like a fat chick.

Give It To Abercrombie

01-29-2009, 08:38 PM

No clue and no class.

:fingers::fingers:

Let's not forget this a-hole's idea of a joke is to have a dummy in his jersey thrown off the roof of the arena in a fake suicide in front of his team. Douchebag.

The Duke

01-29-2009, 08:49 PM

Can Lendale be any dumber? :dang:

"When you are not used to winning, then you do stuff like that. We are kind of used to winning, so we win with class.''

That's about it. Losing franchises( bungles, titans) celebrate a simple win and act like they rock

But at the end they are still losers and we're winning championships

Heinz Hitman

01-29-2009, 09:00 PM

The Titans overachieved this year. Next year they go 9-7 at best and when we get them at home we will demolish them. I just hope Tomlin has a tape of them disrespecting our Towel looped and playing 24/7 the week leading up to the rematch.

NO MERCY.

SteelersMongol

01-29-2009, 09:07 PM

F*ck the Tennessee Tits!

F*ck "Linda" White! (The mo-fo is not even respected by the Tennessee fans. How sad is that?)

TheSteelCurtain

01-29-2009, 09:19 PM

LenDales does love him some cheeseburgers.

You'd think he would have learned after how things went for ol' TJ.

I sat 9 row right behind the bengals bench on the 45 i gave TJ the business all day long. I told him that it used to be fun to beat the bengals now they are so bad i left unfufilled.

Benzbrother

01-29-2009, 10:02 PM

Lendale's comments at the end of the article display exactly the thing that had Pittsburgh so upset in the first place. Yea they won, but they showed absolutely no class in doing so. When is the last time you saw a Steeler player do something like that after a win?

TeeJay

01-29-2009, 10:03 PM

I sat 9 row right behind the bengals bench on the 45 i gave TJ the business all day long. I told him that it used to be fun to beat the bengals now they are so bad i left unfufilled.

:toofunny:

I trust TJ apologised to you for the Bungles ineptitude! (Stupid name that anyway...TJ...pfft!)

El-Gonzo Jackson

01-29-2009, 10:09 PM

White said. "I wish we'd gotten to play them again. But Baltimore beat us and then they beat Baltimore,
'

Notice how White doesn't say......"I fumbled the game away to Baltimore", but rather prefers to remember "Baltimore beat us" ? :chuckle:

section514

01-29-2009, 10:39 PM

The best part about the Titans, is that they stomped a home-made towel, that towel was embroidered with The Terrible Towel on it, that towel was extra powerful, it was hand made. Steeler sweat and tears went into the making of it, haha

Godfather

01-29-2009, 10:58 PM

No clue and no class.

:fingers::fingers:

Let's not forget this a-hole's idea of a joke is to have a dummy in his jersey thrown off the roof of the arena in a fake suicide in front of his team. Douchebag.

Well, in fairness the blame for that should go to Pete Carroll. But there's a reason Petey used Lenwhale for that joke instead of someone else.

JackHammer

01-30-2009, 12:29 AM

No clue and no class.

:fingers::fingers:

Let's not forget this a-hole's idea of a joke is to have a dummy in his jersey thrown off the roof of the arena in a fake suicide in front of his team. Douchebag.

I'm pretty sure that was Pete Carrol's idea. Carrol is a real prankster. I like the hate for Lendell's stupid ass, but Carrol is too blame for that one.

Steelers & I

01-30-2009, 03:14 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrible_Towel

"I did not see the Terrible Towel as witchcraft to hex the enemy. It would be a positive force, driving the Steelers to superhuman performance, but if it experienced a yen for mischief and created fatal mistakes by opponents, I would tolerate that."
—Myron Cope

Before a 1994 playoff game against the Steelers' long-time rival Cleveland Browns, Steelers defensive tackle Brentson Buckner accidentally dropped a Towel that he was waving during the player introductions. Browns running back Earnest Byner stepped on the Towel yelling, "We don't care about your towel. We're going to beat you this time." This act "provok[ed] other Steelers and Browns to mingle. Not affectionately." The Steelers won the game 29–9. Since 1994, the Browns have made the playoffs only once, in a 2002 Wild-Card game against the Steelers. The Browns lost, 36-33.

During a December 4, 2005 game at Heinz Field, T. J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals wiped his feet on a Towel after he scored a touchdown. Although the Bengals managed a 7-point victory in that regular season game, the Steelers came back to defeat them 31–17 in the playoffs, on their way to a victory in Super Bowl XL.

Before the September 29, 2008 Steelers game at Heinz Field, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason stomped on a Terrible Towel. The Ravens then went on to lose all 3 of their 2008 season games against the Steelers, including the 2008 AFC Championship Game.

On December 21, 2008, LenDale White and Keith Bulluck of the Tennessee Titans stepped on a Terrible Towel after the Titans's 31–14 victory. Pittsburgh's Larry Foote responded, "They deserved to do that, they whooped us, they deserve to celebrate and, hopefully, we'll see them again." While Hines Ward said, "[T. J. Houshmandzadeh] did kind of the same thing and you see where they went."Tennessee was eliminated during the divisional round of the 2008 playoffs, despite being the top seed in the AFC.

On January 27, 2009, at a public sendoff in Phoenix for the Arizona Cardinals before they faced the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon produced a towel and called the Cardinals mascot, Big Red to the stage, where he used the towel to wipe his armpits. Gordon then blew his nose on the towel. :banging::banging::banging::banging::banging: